I have been following politics in Canada for the past forty years and seen the loss of our sovereignty in various ways; the NAFTA, 9/11, Fortress North America. And of course, our very close proximity to the world’s singular super power drains away sovereignty and our ability to think for ourselves.

One of the single greatest influences for our loss of sovereignty though is neoliberalism. We have not felt the full brute force of neoliberalism but many, many, other countries have; Greece, Ireland, Portugal, Italy… and the list goes on.

Neoliberalism is the corporate dominated free market economy that has come to dominate globally over the last thirty years. Quite simply, it is where profits come before people, and where nation states and their sovereignty are erased in favor of corporate exploitation.

The TPP is neoliberalism on steroids and a threat to every country so gullible as to ratify it. It is just one more "agreement" leading to the privatization of government.

With the recent demise of the Harper regime I see a complacency set in that we are now back in “safe hands.” This is simply not so. Going back to the time of PE Trudeau, the Liberals like the Conservatives are Bay Street parties. Both parties are willing to sell out the public interest and the middle class.

We have to decide if we are going to be governed by duly elected and responsible governments or global corporations and banks whose only loyalty is to their bottom line.

Unless there is strong and very vocal public opposition to the TPP I believe it will be passed. This is not a decision that can be left to the vagaries of Parliament. The public interest must prevail. We must be the loudest voice to ensure this odious legislation is not ratified.

This signing is going to take place in the next few months. I urge everybody to make it your top priority. It is up to us!

Sincerely, Robert Billyard , Mission BC

How it will be delivered

At the appropriate time I would like to see this petition formally presented to parliamentarians as part of a public demonstration against the TPP on Parliament Hill.